New health centre under development

BARRIE - Barrie's Dr. Dave Boushy is excited to see the mud and dirt in the city's north end.
It means his dream of creating a seniors community is soon to be a reality.
"The Little Lake Health Centre has been approved and construction on the site has started," said Boushy. "We've cleared two-thirds of the trees so you can see the proper shape a bit."
He said the servicing for the 10-acre site at Duckworth and Cundles has begun, and grading has been done for the roads.
Up next is digging the hole for the 50,000-square foot medical centre, which is expected to be open within a year.
"It's 65 per cent occupied and we've put a hold on it, to ensure we have the right mix (of professions and retail)," said Boushy.
Boushy and wife Dr. Lee Andersen are both physicians at Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, and saw the need for more medical care and housing for seniors in the Barrie area.
Since Boushy first pitched his Little Lake Seniors development to the city in 2011, he's been working on making further partnerships in the community, such as the hospital, the North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), Community Care Access Centre, the local family health team and Georgian College.
There are to be three buildings on the site, with one being a medical centre, another a retirement condo and the third an assisted living centre for seniors who need more advanced care. That assisted living building includes a wing for those with dementia.
"Our goal is about health promotion and to allow seniors to live independently as long as possible," said Boushy.
Working at the hospital, he noticed there were times when patients were healthy enough to be released, but didn't have anyone in the community to help them transition back to independent living.
By having a medical centre on site, independent seniors don't have far to go for a variety of appointments, from X-rays to physiotherapy, mobility aids, family doctor, and even a beauty salon.
There was a "little delay" in getting construction started, with the Ministry of Transportation Ontario having concerns with the site and how it would flow with the realignment of the Highway 400/Duckworth extension.
Boushy said full construction of the site should start this spring, and the residential buildings would be open later in 2014.
"We've started a waiting list for the assisted living building and there's an ongoing list for the condo building," said Boushy.
There's underground parking planned for the independent living condo building and Boushy said there are plans for a meals-on-wheels-type of service for those residents, so if they are ill for a few days, they can order meals for home.
He said the medical centre is geared toward helping seniors, but it doesn't mean patients of all ages won't be able to access the services inside.
"There will also be a lot of gardens outside and common areas for exercise and socializing," said Boushy.
The entire site will cost approximately $100 million to complete, and Boushy said it's been relatively easy to form partnerships for the project.
He's most excited about one with the Ontario Teacher's Pension Plan.
"Our Little Lake Seniors Community is their first investment in Ontario. We're very excited to work with them. They share the same vision for senior care."
Tuesday, the province announced a new action plan to address the province's aging population.
Statistically, it expects by 2017, for the first time, Ontario will be home to more people over 65 than children under 15.
"Supporting the independence of older Ontarians requires an all-hands-on-deck approach, across all sectors, and including partnership between families, care providers and government," said Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care in the press release. "By working together, we can provide seniors with the care they need to live long, active and healthy lives."
For more information about the Little Lake Seniors project, go to www.littlelakeseniors.com.